Upgrading to Windows 7

Windows 7 was designed to upgrade from Windows Vista and not from Windows XP. Additionally, Microsoft will only allow the following upgrade path to Vista users:

Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium Windows Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional Windows Vista Enterprise to Windows 7 Enterprise Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate ***Any other upgrade path from Vista to Windows 7 will require a clean install*** ***Any upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 will require a clean install***

Before proceeding with an installation of Windows 7, you are strongly advised to run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will check the compatibility of your computer with Windows 7 and alert you to any issues that you should address before installing Windows 7. The download is available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows7/get/upgradeadvisor.aspx. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. From the Microsoft website click on Download the Windows Upgrade Advisor Beta. Click Download and then click Run. A window will display that says Do you want to run this software? Click Run. On the Setup Wizard screen, click Next. Click I accept the license terms and click Next. Click Install. When installation is complete, click Close. When you see the screen below, click Start Check.

8. Windows Upgrade Advisor will start checking compatibility. 9. Once the scan is complete, Upgrade Advisor will display any issues that you should be aware of.

10. Click Close to exit Windows Upgrade Advisor.

You will be unable to do an in-place upgrade in the following situations: 1. The current version installed on your computer is Windows XP. 2. The current version is Windows Vista which has not been updated to Service Pack 1 or later. 3. You are upgrading from a 32-bit version of Windows Vista to a 64-bit version of Windows 7, or a 64-bit version of Windows Vista to a 32-bit version of Windows 7. 4. If you are moving from Windows Vista in one language to Windows 7 in a different language. 5. If you are moving from a higher edition to a lower edition (e.g. going from Windows Vista Enterprise to Windows 7 Professional).

In any of the above scenarios please be aware that when installing Windows 7 you will need to perform a Custom (Advanced) install on your PC and you will need to save your files, documents, pictures, video, music, etc., before installing Windows 7. You will also need to make a list of all the applications you have installed because you will have to reinstall all applications following the upgrade. This is because the Custom (Advanced) install wipes out all your files and applications. You will need to back up your enduser data files to an external hard drive and you will need to reload your files and applications to your PC once you have completed installation of Windows 7. You can move your files manually or by using the Windows Easy Transfer tool that is included with Windows 7. Windows Easy Transfer guides you through saving your XP profiles, settings, and files (documents, pictures, music, etc) to an external device, such as an external hard drive, and then puts them back in place once the upgrade to Windows 7 is complete. Following are instructions on how to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 using the Windows Easy Transfer method. Make sure you have an external hard drive available on which to store the Windows Easy Transfer file that will be created.

HowtoUpgradeWindowsXPtoWindows7
Section1:FileBackup
1. 2. 3. 4. MakesureyouhaveanactiveInternetconnection. PlacetheWindows7installationdiskinyourCD/DVDdrive. IftheWindows7installationwindowappears,closethewindow.DonotclickInstallNow. RightclickontheStartButton,clickExplore,andbrowsetotheDVDdriveonyourcomputer.OpentheSupport folder.OpentheMigwizfolder.Doubleclickmigsetup.exe. 5. TheWindowsEasyTransferwindowopens.

6. AWelcometoWindowsEasyTransferscreenwillappear.ClickNext. 7.SelectAnexternalharddiskorUSBflashdrive.

8.ClickThisismyoldcomputer.WindowsEasyTransferscansthecomputer.

9.Oncescanningiscomplete,youcanreviewthedefaultitemsincludedbyWindowsEasyTransferandthenaddor deletefoldersandfilesyouwanttoincludeorremove.Thescreenbelowdisplaysthreeuserprofiles(mroope, Administrator,andConductor)thathavebeenselectedfortransfer.NoticetheEasyTransferfilesizeinthelowerright corner.Ifthetransfersizeexceedsthesizeofyourdestinationdrive,youwillneedtodeselectsomefilesorchoosea largerdrivetosaveyourEasyTransferfileto.

10.ClickNextandenterapassword(ifdesired). 11.ClickSaveandlocatetheexternalharddrivelocationforsavingWindowsEasyTransferfiles.Whentransferis complete,clickNext.Noticethelocationwhereyousavedyourtransferfile,clickNext,andthenClose.

Section2:InstallingWindows7
12.BootthecomputerfromyourWindows7installationDVD. NOTE:MakesurethattheCD/DVDdriveisselectedfirstinthebootorderintheBIOS. 13.Whenprompted,pressanykeytobootfromtheinstallationDVD.(Seescreenshotbelow) NOTE:Youwillonlyhaveabout8secondstopressthiskey.Ifyoumissit,youwillhavetorestartthecomputer.

14.SetupyourlanguagepreferencesandclickontheNextbutton.(Seescreeshotbelow).

15.ClickontheInstallNowbuttontostarttheinstallation.(Seescreenshotbelow)

16.ChecktheIacceptthelicensetermsboxandclickonNext.(Seescreenshotbelow)

17.ClickontheCustom(advanced)option.(Seescreenshotbelow)

18.SelecttheharddriveorpartitionthatyouwanttoinstallWindows7onandclickontheDriveOptions(advanced) link.(Seescreenshotbelow) NOTE:Iftheharddriveorpartitionthatyouhaveselectedisunallocted,thenyoucanjustclickontheNextbutton insteadandgotostep9sinceitisblank. WARNING:YouwillnothavetheDriveoptions(advanced)optionunlesstheinstallationisdoneatboot,andnotfrom runningtheinstallationfromwithinyourcurrentOS.

19.SelectaharddriveorpartitonthatyouwanttodoacleaninstallofWindows7on,thenclickontheFormatoption toformatitandclickontheNextbutton.(Seescreenshotbelow)

20.TheinstallationofWindows7willnowbegin.(Seescreenshotbelow) NOTE:Duringtheinstallationprocess,yourscreenmayflashandcomputerwillrestartafewtimes.

21.Afterthefinalrestart,youwillseethisscreenforamoment.(Seescreenshotbelow)

22.Typeinanyusernamethatyouwantforyourdefaultadministratoraccountandanycomputername,thenclickon theNextbutton.(Seescreenshotbelow)

23.Typeinapasswordyouwantforyourdefaultadministratoraccount.Typeitinagaintoconfirmit,thentypeinahint foryourpassword.ClickontheNextbutton.(Seescreenshotsbelow) WARNING:Thepasswordwillbecasesensitive.Thehintwillbeseenbyallusersonthecomputer,sodonottypeyour passwordasthehint. NOTE:Ifyoudonotwantyouruseraccountpasswordprotectedatthistimeordonotwanttohavetotypeinahint, thenleavethisblankandclickontheNextbutton.YoucancreateapasswordlaterforyouruseraccountintheControl PanelUserAccountsafterinstallingWindows7withouthavingtotypeinahint.

24.TypeinyourWindows7productkeynumber.(Seescreenshotbelowstep14) Aproductkeylookssimilartothis: PRODUCTKEY:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 25.UnchecktheAutomaticallyactivateWindowswhenI'monlinebox,thenclickontheNextbutton.(Seescreenshot below) NOTE:YoucanactivateWindows7laterafteryoumakesureitisrunningproperly.(Seestep21below) IfyouchosetoautomaticallyactivateWindows7onlinewhenyousetupyourcomputer,automaticactivationbegins tryingtoactivateyourcopyofWindowsthreedaysafteryoulogonforthefirsttime.

26.ClickonUserecommendedsettings.(Seescreenshotbelow)

27.Selectyourtimezoneandsetyourtimeanddatesettings,thenclickontheNextbutton.(Seescreenshotbelow)

28.Clickonyourcomputer'slocationtoselectitforthecorrectnetworklocationtypesettingstobeappliedforthat location.(Seescreenshotbelow) NOTE:ItisbesttoselectPubliclocationforthebestsecurity.

29.Windows7willnowprepareyourdesktoptostartup.(Seescreenshotsbelow)

Section3:RestoringYourFiles
30.Onceinstallationiscomplete,clickStart,clickAllPrograms,clickAccessories,clickSystemTools,andthenclick WindowsEasyTransfer. 31.TheWindowsEasyTransferwindowopens.ClickNext. 32.ClickAnexternalharddiskorUSBflashdrive. 33.ClickThisismynewcomputer.

34.ClickYes,openthefile.BrowsetothelocationwheretheEasyTransferfilewassaved.Clickthefilename,andthen clickOpen

 35.ClickTransfertotransferallfilesandsettings.ClickingCustomizewithinaprofiledisplaysanoverviewofwhatis includedintheWindowsEasyTransferfileforthatprofile.IfthereareitemsthatyouwishnottotransfertoWindows7, clickthecheckedboxnexttotheitemanditwillbedeselected.

Ifyouwanttodeletespecificfiles,clickAdvancedandyouwillbepresentedwiththescreenshownbelow.Todeselect specificfiles,clickthecheckedboxnexttothefile.

 36.ClickCloseafterWindowsEasyTransferhascompletedmovingyourfiles. 37.Restartthecomputertocompletethetransferprocess. Thatsit.YouhavesuccessfullyupgradedWindowsXPtoWindows7.Youcannowreinstallyourapplications.